The aviation industry is striving to become climate-neutral, with hydrogen widely expected to play a role as a future energy carrier. This requires not only new aircraft but also new infrastructure on the ground. Hamburg is forging a path towards such a hydrogen infrastructure. Lufthansa Technik, DLR, ZAL, and Hamburg Airport have come together to design and test maintenance and ground-based processes for hydrogen technology in the form of the Hydrogen Aviation Lab.
A decommissioned Airbus A320 that flew for Lufthansa Group for 30 years will be used to house the Hydrogen Aviation Lab and will be fitted with a full suite of test systems as well as an internal tank for liquid hydrogen and an onboard fuel cell, paired with supporting ground-based hydrogen infrastructure.
The project is funded by Hamburg's Ministry of Economic Affairs and Innovation as well as the city's investment and development bank (IFB Hamburg).
“We are following two strategic goals: the development of a hydrogen economy in Hamburg and the decarbonization of the mobility industries. We are very pleased to be able to make this world-first project possible through the Special Aviation Fund," commented Senator Michael Westhagemann.
The A320 will be towed to locations at the Lufthansa Technik base and Hamburg Airport to enable real-world research of ground-based processes. With this unique lab, the project partners aim to prepare for the handling and maintenance of hydrogen-powered aircraft, whose entry into service is forecast for the middle of the next decade.